Musings on eating + moving

Almond Milk: Two words describe this nectar: smooth and nutty. While it’s thinner than cow’s milk, almond milk is creamier than many non-dairy alternatives. With zero cholesterol and monounsaturated fats. This tasty treat is great with cold cereal, oatmeal, hot chocolate, and coffee, but is a superstar as a shake base. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for DIY chai latte. Making almond milk at home is a breeze, but in-store options include sweetened (usually with cane syrup), unsweetened, unfortified, vanilla-flavored, or boosted with added plant protein (10 grams!), omega-3s and vitamins A, C, and E.

Cashew Milk: Creamy, rich, nutty goodness – what more could you want? The cashew flavor is super strong, so think before you pour. Anything that would be tasty with the flavor of peanut butter would work with cashew milk. A hit in your coffee or hot chocolate. A splash in your muesli. Use your imagination. The fat content is comparable to 1% milk, but is of the good-for-you monounsaturated variety. Cashew milk is higher in salt than the grain-based milks, but it’s oh-so-yummy. And it couldn’t be easier to make.

Flax Milk: The mighty little seed has taken the spotlight on the non-dairy scene because it’s a near-match for the flavor of moo juice. Thinner than 1% milk, flax milk is a hit for baking and as a base for milkshakes and smoothies. It’s surprisingly easy to DIY, but if we buy, we lean toward the unsweetened variety, which has just 25 calories per glass. The sweetened version has about as much sugar as cow’s milk and half the calories. Whether you make it at home or buy it, you’ll get 1.5 grams of polyunsaturated fat per serving, which can help lower LDL cholesterol.

Hazelnut Milk: When you’re looking for a punch of flavor, reach for the hazelnut milk. Ditto if the slight bitterness of almond is a turn-off. Try it in coffee, pour it on cereal, or use it in baking. Just think…brownies made with cocoa powder, almond flour and homemade hazelnut milk. Mouthwatering. Because of its bold flavor, hazelnut milk is less successful in savory dishes. We make our own hazelnut milk, since manufactured hazelnut milk is hard to find and has a big hit of brown rice sweetener – 14 grams – that puts it on par with dairy.

Hemp Milk: With a flavor that’s a little bit nutty and a tad grassy (no, not that kind of grass), hemp milk is a great non-dairy alternative if you have nut or soy allergies. We think the taste is reminiscent of almond milk, but others say hemp milk is an acquired taste. It rocks in both sweet (chia pudding, anyone?) and savory (mashed potatoes and gravy – yum!) dishes, and shines in baked goods. Hemp milk is easy to make and has the same amount of fat as 2% cow’s milk, but this creamy alternative delivers polyunsaturated fat, the kind that lowers LDL cholesterol and delivers über-important omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids.

Rice Milk: Delicate and sweet, rice milk is a fave of kids with milk allergies or aversions. It’s delish by the glass or over cereal (but it needs to be cold). Because rice milk isn’t creamy, you’ll need to add a thickener when you cook with it. Since pancake and waffle batters use flour as thickeners, rice milk is a perfect cow milk substitute in those recipes. Rice milk is gluten- and cholesterol-free. Super-easy to DIY, its popularity means you can buy rice milk in flavored, enriched, and plain varieties. Best of all, when you zip to the grocery store on a Saturday morning, you can nab yogurt and ice cream made from rice milk.

Sunflower Milk: All of the nutrition without the hassle of chewing or spitting out shells. Are you feeling it? Seriously, sunflower milk has a rich, earthy flavor that’s perfect for green smoothies and savory stews and soups. And if you’re preggers or have another reason to need folic acid, sunflower milk may become your go-to beverage. It’s a snap to make: Soak a cup of raw seeds in three cups of water for at least 12 hours, then throw in something for sweetener (agave, maple, or a couple of dates), and add a pinch of salt. Blend, blend, and blend some more. You can strain it or keep it thick and creamy.

Easier to Buy (not impossible to DIY)

Coconut Milk: There’s a difference between the thick coconut milk you cook with (yum for Thai curries!) and the thin coconut milk you drink. With a natural sweetness and taste of the tropics, hand’s down best use - smoothies. Next best? Blending it with coffee, sweetener, and ice for a frozen delight. Because it’s so thin, coconut beverage is a no-go for baking. On the health front, coconut milk has about as much saturated fat as cow’s milk, but it’s made up of medium-chain fatty acids that your body can use as super-fuel. If you’re a coconut-cracking ninja, you’ll love making your own coconut milk. Otherwise, you can buy it in sweetened, unsweetened, and vanilla-flavored varieties (we tend toward unsweetened).

Oat Milk: All the debates on oats for no-gluten diet apply here but if you land on oats sometimes...here's a cool milk version. Nice and creamy, and with a mild flavor, oat milk is delicious right out of the fridge. It’s redundant, but we’ll say it anyway – double down and pour it on hot oatmeal. It slips right into savory dishes – think crepes or potpie – as well as sweet. Bonus tip: heating oat milk brings out its flavor and creaminess. Steam it and float it on top of coffee, or sprinkle cinnamon over a just-simmered mug. Because it’s grain-based, oat milk works great if you have soy or nut allergies. Not so great if you’re gluten sensitive. It’s cholesterol-free and has about as much fat as 1% moo juice. Its grainy roots make oat milk chock full of carbs – 24 grams in eight ounces. It’s a cinch to make oat milk at home. 

Soy Milk: Slightly sweet and with a similar consistency to 1% milk, for years soy was the go-to milk for the lactose intolerant. Once touted as the perfect food, new research suggests that the picture is more complicated. Check out this article to know if soy is right for you. If soy milk fits into your lifestyle, its creaminess works for cereal, smoothies, ice cream, and yogurt. Plus, soy milk is packed with protein, is low in saturated fat, and has an alphabet’s worth of vitamins and minerals – from B to zinc. Making your own soy milk takes some patience, but it’s economical and it’s worth it. Alternately, you can buy soy milk virtually everywhere. While you’re at the store, check you the soy milk-based yogurt and ice cream. Yum!

No matter your reason for embracing milks that don’t moo, there’s a non-dairy milk calling your name (can you hear it?). And you can make it your own by mixing in vanilla extract, almond extract, or cocoa powder to add a new flavor spin. Let it steep in the fridge with fresh mint or a few cinnamon sticks. We hope one or all of these milks delight your taste buds.

Any we missed that you find yummy and worth a share? Send along to erin@mypowersupply.com.

Thanks to our contributing authors Josh Kriger - Co-founder and Food Architect and Audrey Pichy - Geo Expansion Support. 

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